Bernried: Branch Church, Way of the Cross and Memorial

Bernried can be explored through several clearly distinct themes: the branch church of St. Mary and St. Wendelin, the Way of the Cross to the Bruder Klaus Chapel, the “Bernried/Rötz – Concentration Camp Cemetery and Memorial” memorial, and routes for walking and cycling. This gives the village a range of starting points for planning a trip, from church and commemorative history to specific routes. The hike and cycling tour differ both in mode of travel and length.

Church and Memorial

The branch church of St. Mary and St. Wendelin was built in 1922/23. It is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary; St. Wendelin is its secondary patron saint. The construction dates and dedication offer different historical reference points: the dates place the construction in time, while the patron saints identify the religious dedication. The church can therefore be understood through two aspects, without conflating its construction history with its dedication.

The “Bernried/Rötz – Concentration Camp Cemetery and Memorial” memorial focuses on a different part of history. It commemorates 164 victims of National Socialism who were reinterred in Flossenbürg in 1957. Its name, the number of victims and their reinterment are all part of its specific historical significance. The village’s profile thus encompasses both the religious dedication of the branch church and remembrance of the victims of National Socialism.

Way of the Cross and Hike

The moderately difficult Rz05 circular hiking trail, also known as the Chapel Trail, is 10 km long and starts and ends in Bernried. It follows the Stations of the Cross to the Bruder Klaus Chapel. The Way of the Cross leads from the edge of the village uphill to the chapel, passing 15 granite pillars featuring artistic ceramic images. The route description thus brings together a circular hike, a specific religious path and a clearly named destination; the pillars and ceramic images play a distinctive role in the design of the Way of the Cross.

A community tradition is also associated with the route: In Bernried, for more than 30 years, the chapel construction association “Friends and Supporters of the Bruder Klaus Chapel of the KLJB/KLB Cham District” has traditionally invited members of local groups and village residents to pray the Way of the Cross to the chapel on Palm Sunday. The route is therefore associated not only with hiking, but also with a recurring prayer. A cycling pilgrimage to Our Lady on the Bogenberg also started at the Bruder Klaus Chapel. For the 25th edition, 19 participants gathered there at 7 a.m. for a prayer of blessing.

Cycling Route through Bernried

Moderately difficult cycling tour 11 is 30.4 km long and passes through Bernried. The route described goes via Stamsried, Stratwies, Bernried, Öd, Rötz, Alletsried and Hiltenbach to Friedersried, then back to Stamsried. For trip planning, this cycling route is easy to distinguish from the 10 km circular hiking trail: here, the mode of travel and route length are the concrete points of comparison, while the Chapel Trail is also designated as a circular route.

More destinations in the wider Rötz travel destination

In the wider Rötz travel destination, the Goldsteig Trail crosses the Steinerne Wand rock formation via a secured hiking walkway; there is also a viewpoint along the trail. From Bauhof, you can reach Schwarzenburg on foot via the Bierweg or Schützsteig trails. These hiking and castle attractions around Rötz form a separate theme from the Bernried Chapel Trail.

The Upper Palatinate Craft Museum includes a steam-powered sawmill and the water-powered Saxlmühle saw. In the open-air area, a Class 64 steam locomotive from 1934 recalls the former Neunburg vorm Wald–Rötz railway line. The Schwarzwihrbergverein’s program also includes Fairy Tale Time: it was first introduced in 2007, and a different fairy tale is performed each year. If you are planning a specific visit, check current local information.

Discover more destinations: Heinrichskirchen.

Go to the overview of the wider travel destination: Rötz.